《Zero Attack Armor Stacker [Tank Litrpg • Regressor • Fantasy]》 1. A Giant Mistake Elian Ward always thought attacking Blunderbore, the Giants'' capital, was a laughably insane idea. Now, he was part of the force attacking it and wasn¡¯t laughing. And it truly was insane. Each one of them participating in the attack knew that. But they also all knew they had no choice. It¡¯d be the beginning of the end for humanity. That was why the Council of the United voted to send humanity¡¯s strongest heroes to stop the ritual. Elian was strong but far from the strongest and shouldn¡¯t have been part of the attack. He wasn¡¯t a hero either. At least, he never thought of himself as one. But if everything went according to plan, he¡¯d be the most heroic hero in all of history. The earth trembled as another of the Giant King¡¯s elite guards fell. Flying debris dinged off Elian¡¯s barrier as he treated the wounded. ¡°Stay still, Yanira,¡± said Elian, holding his glowing green hands over her. Emerald tattoos curling in the runes of Sirona surfaced on his skin. ¡°I¡¯m doing the best I can.¡± ¡°Elian¡­¡± Lady Yanira of the Mist Barrier coughed up blood. ¡°Do-don¡¯t bother¡­¡± She looked down at her body. Everything past her abdomen was gone, entrails strewn across the ground. A swing of the Giant guard had caught her. She would be dead if not for Elian. His Melded Greater Boon of Lasting Relief allowed him to match the abilities of the most adept healers and was the reason the Council let him join the assault despite lacking in the firepower aspect. Boons, abilities granted by deities to their chosen, were akin to miracles. But they had limits. Elian couldn¡¯t reconstruct Yanira¡¯s lower half because he had expended too much energy during the course of the attack. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. ¡°Le-let me die. Re-remove¡­ pain. Heal others.¡± Elian knew he should move on. If he successfully pulled off his plan, her death wouldn¡¯t have happened. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to leave her after all the years they¡¯ve fought together. Yanira was one of the earliest friends he made after getting yanked from Earth and thrown into the world of Fellenyr. Yanira touched his cheek. ¡°You were always¡­ so unwavering. Go.¡± ¡°Rest now,¡± Elian said, weaving her into a deep sleep before he withdrew his healing magic. He left her as she breathed her last. All of this will never happen, Elian reminded himself as he jumped over a severed Giant leg and joined the push into the castle of Giant King Gogmagog. He called up the Covenant with the Gods, a magical display only visible to the specific person that showed their attributes, Boons, and Curses. It was akin to the stat table of RPG games on Earth. Just like checking his pocket several times for his wallet before he left his apartment¡ªElian hadn¡¯t been in his apartment on Earth for almost fifteen years¡ªhe always checked and rechecked the Covenant to make sure there actually was a plan. He never trusted that Timekeeper not to withdraw his Boon suddenly. Elian Ward | Human | Level: 228 Health: 136,000/136,000 Energy: 951/66,550 ATTRIBUTES: Attack Power: 220,245 Magic Power: 0 Armor: 53,119 Magic Resilience: 35,702 DIVINE BESTOWAL: Melded Greater Boon of Lasting Relief III Melded Greater Boon of Abundance and Famine III Melded Greater Boon of the Enduring Circle III Greater Boon of the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift III Greater Boon of Seven Sorrows III Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye III Lesser Boon of the Final Throne III Lesser Curse of Tranquil Corrosion II I¡¯m unwavering because of this, Elian thought as he focused on the Boon from the bastard Timekeeper who yanked him from Earth and tasked him with saving the humans of Fellenyr. Greater Boon of the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift For a great sacrifice of your present and future, the way to the past is opened after you death. A hundred Favors and half of your improvements, so demands the Timekeeper. Along with your mind from the future, you can bring a Greater Boon or Greater Curse with you to the start of your journey. Forbidden from sharing knowledge of this gift, your tongue is tied lest you destroy the Timekeeper¡¯s work. The conditions set by the Timekeeper¡¯s Boon severely weakened Elian despite him working much harder than the next guy. All of his attributes gained were halved, not to mention he had to start from level one though already an adult. Everyone should applaud him for reaching this far despite the massive challenges. And that wasn¡¯t all. Each level rewards the person with a Favor Point. Elian had to set aside a hundred of those for the activation of his time travel instead of progressing his other Boons or Curses. Not to mention he had to invest Favor Points into the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift itself to make it a Greater Boon and lessen its penalties. It was much, much worse before. So many attribute points were eaten away by this Boon. The Favor Points of a hundred level wasted. Or not. Everything would be worth it once Elian returned to the past. This was why the deaths of friends and allies never hit him as hard as they should. He was going to save them all anyway. He always kept note of important events that transpired and studied the Boons and Curses that¡¯d best suit the situation once he literally restarted his life on Fellenyr. Too bad that there was a restriction from being able to tell others that he had a reset button or he could¡¯ve brainstormed much more. Nonetheless, he was confident in his plans. He chose the Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye to bring back with him. Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye Attack Power multiplied by eight. For every thousand points of Attack Power, increase the multiplier by one. Magic Power reduced to zero. The Abyssal Eye curses your body to never feel the touch of healing from any deity. The efficacy of all potions that touch your lips will be cut in half. Boons and Curses¡ªElian would always say they were almost the same because they both granted benefits at a cost. Slight differences in obtaining them, he conceded. Boons were also generally less harsh. Even the Timekeeper¡¯s condition was mild for the price of resetting the world. In comparison, what the Abyssal Eye imposed on him was much more burdensome and dangerous. A healer who couldn¡¯t heal himself, that was Elian Ward. After all the time and sweat he paid to gain favor from two gods and merge their gifts for the much-coveted Melded Greater Boon of Lasting Relief, people thought him crazy or stupid for approaching the Abyssal Eye for its Curse. But he needed the massive increase of Attack Power to change early key events that¡¯d certainly affect the future. He wasn¡¯t going to waste years as a weakling like before.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Trust in me, Yanira, Elian thought. Everyone. Trust in me. He¡¯d make sure to prevent their deaths in the next timeline. He¡¯d personally take care of this damned Giant King. Elian insisted on joining this mission because he couldn¡¯t get information about the defenses of the castle and about Giant King Gogmagog anywhere else. He was certain no one would survive this attack to return and share what they¡¯ve learned. This was a suicide mission, a last-ditch attempt of humanity to survive. As the heroes cleared floor after floor of the castle, descending deeper and deeper into its bowels, Elian committed its guards and defenses to memory. The next time they¡¯d attack this place, he promised none of them would die. Maybe some. They lost two-thirds of their number fighting from the walls of the city up to the castle gate. And they continued to dwindle. ¡°Can we take on the Giant King?¡± asked Reuben the Faint Wind. He looked around, probably counting those remaining and thinking the same as Elian. Forty-seven of them left. ¡°We have to,¡± was the curt response of Marcus of the Iron Walls, their de facto leader after the Great Hero Salvinor died outside the castle. Any more discussions were cut short because they arrived in front of towering doors. The doorway was wide enough to fit a human-sized castle through. Not really surprising because this was built for Giants. The problem was that the doors were made from faewyrm bones, resilient to magic, and secured by layers of warding runes of the Elder Giants. Beyond them must be the place where the ritual was held. ¡°Are there any Runebreakers still¡ª?¡± Marcus began to say when a low rumble made everyone tense up. The doors slowly swung open. The darkness beyond looked like a monster¡¯s maw, inviting them to come inside with the promise they¡¯d never leave. ¡°The Giant King mocks us!¡± shouted Witchblade Maria. ¡°Saves us time too,¡± Elian mumbled under his breath. ¡°Let us enter.¡± Marcus sent flying light orbs ahead as he passed through the doorway. As the rest of the group followed, he ordered formations and preparations. ¡°Don¡¯t slack in your detection. Spread light. We don¡¯t want to be caught by an ambush.¡± But there was none. No traps or Giants lying in wait to attack them. Their group wandered into a room so vast they couldn¡¯t see the walls or the ceiling despite the spells they cast. It might as well be a cavern with no end. Each of the hundreds of pillars holding up the dark ceiling was bigger than the towers of the Iron Walls. ¡°WELCOME, HUMANS!¡± A forceful wave washed over Elian and his comrades. Some of them fell on their knees. A couple outright fainted. Migraines suddenly plagued Elian as he tasted bitterness at the back of his tongue. Just hearing those two words, he knew they could never defeat the one who had spoken. From the shadows stepped forth the biggest Giant that Elian or any of them had ever seen, standing twice taller than the castle guards. They barely came up past the Giant¡¯s ankles. Wearing regal attire and adorned with jewelry boasting gems the size of a wagon, there was no doubt that this was Giant King Gogmagog. ¡°I CONGRATULATE YOU FOR REACHING THIS PLACE,¡± said the Giant King. ¡°YOU TINY CREATURES NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME.¡± None of them could respond to the Giant King. Only a few of their group remained standing straight on their feet. Most wobbled. Others were on the ground. Elian bent over as he vomited. The world spun. He fought for focus. What did he learn about the Giant King so far? Nothing! He couldn¡¯t pass out now. ¡°Yo-you¡¯re going to die!¡± Marcus found his voice and fought the Giant King¡¯s overwhelming pressure. The last knight of the Iron Walls conjured dozens of golden spears in the air in a blink and sent them flying to the Giant King. Inspired by Marcus¡¯ bravery, the others snapped out of their paralysis. They shouted in defiance of the unbeatable foe and used the last of their strength to attack. Even Elian joined in, desperately seeking the weakness of the Giant King. But there seemed to be none. They couldn¡¯t even singe his clothes, their spells stopped by an invisible wall. Someone tried to attack the barrier with his swords, only to be shocked by powerful lightning upon contact. I don¡¯t know how to beat this guy! Elian raged in his head. They had traveled so far and fought through hell only to discover nothing useful. No matter. There was a next time. And the next, and yet another next after that. He could rely on the Timekeeper¡¯s power to endlessly retry this until he won. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Marcus exploded into fine red mist. Elian didn¡¯t see what happened. Some of them started to flee; their screams were cut short as they died in a blink. Those who stayed pressed on with the fruitless attack, bursting and dying one by one as Marcus had. Elian stopped fighting. I¡¯ll avenge all of you, was his only thought. Twelve of them left. Now, eight. Five. Three. Elian nodded at Reuben the Faint Wind before closing his eyes to receive his fate. Silence. No more screams. No more explosions. The only sound he could hear was his breathing. Elian opened his eyes to the last of the glowing orbs of Marcus flickering out of existence. But he didn¡¯t need to cast any skill for light because the gems worn by the Giant King shone brightly. The floor was painted red with the blood of Elian¡¯s comrades. He couldn¡¯t make out anything recognizable from the gore. Even the pieces of armor they had worn were pulverized. The monster responsible for the massacre remained unmoving where he stood, an amused look on his face high above. ¡°DO YOU KNOW WHY I LEFT YOU ALIVE, HUMAN?¡± asked Giant King Gogmagog. ¡°No¡­¡± Eli pushed on his knees and straightened himself to look up at his colossal enemy. ¡°EACH ONE OF YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS WAS AFRAID. THEIR BRAVERY OVERCAME THEIR FEAR. BUT NOT YOU. I SENSE NO FEAR IN YOU.¡± ¡°Someday, the one who¡¯ll defeat you will come!¡± Elian shouted, his lungs struggling to push out air. It¡¯ll be me, he added in his head. He activated the runes inside his armor, preparing to detonate his surprise. ¡°YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE YOUR OWN WORDS DESPITE FACING CERTAIN DEFEAT. I WONDER WHY¡­¡± The eyes of the Giant King turned gold with inscription of burning red surfacing. What was the Giant King doing? Elian made sure to remember every stroke of the inscriptions though his vision was hazy. The symbols might hold a clue to the Giant King¡¯s magic. He¡¯d research them in the next timeline. ¡°Humanity¡­ never gives up!¡± Elian stepped forward though his legs felt like lead. He flitted in and out of consciousness with one thought left¡ªput even just a scratch on this colossal bastard before dying. ¡°AH¡­ I SEE. AN INKLING OF YOUR PLAN, I HAVE.¡± The Giant King must be talking about the bomb that Elian carried. He couldn¡¯t have known about Elian¡¯s Timekeeper¡¯s Boon, could he? A few more seconds. Whether the Giant King killed him or the bomb exploded, Elian would be on his way to the past. None of the Giant King¡¯s nonsense would stop him. ¡°I PRAY FOR MY ANCESTORS TO CURSE YOU!¡± rumbled Giant King Gogmagog. A mountain of a shadow loomed behind the Giant King. ¡°MAY YOU SURVIVE TO WATCH THIS ALL UNFOLD ONCE MORE BUT BE POWERLESS TO DO ANYTHING.¡± ¡°Wha-?¡± "I BID YOU, GOODBYE.¡± And Elian exploded.
Elian stirred as sunlight danced on his eyelids. He blinked to adjust his eyes and looked up at the bright sun of Fellenyr, gold with occasional strings of green that were said to be good luck. He felt the soft grass below him as he pushed himself to sit up. Just like the previous time, he was wearing a plain shirt and shorts. His last moment on Earth was buying groceries. Looking around, he beheld a familiar sight he hadn¡¯t seen for so long. The house of old man Wendell and his wife stood across a plot of freshly tilled soil. Their barns were further beyond. The rolling hills to his left were where groff roamed. And behind him, there was the tree with that awful-tasting fruit. He tried eating it before and ended up puking the whole night. ¡°I¡¯ve returned to the past! It worked!¡± Elian cheered. He was concerned for a moment back there that the Giant King had a way to stop it. He balled a right hand into a fist. Angry red tattoos of different eye designs appeared on his arm. The Curse he designated to bring was also here. Excited to test it, Elian punched the tree for revenge, expecting the bark to break. But the tree was unharmed. 2. Sticks and Stones ¡°Huh? What just happened?¡± Elian stared at his fist. Tattoos of the Abyssal Eye blazed. He punched the tree again, giving it his all this time. His knuckles connected with the rough bark. But instead of a loud crash or a crunch, there was only a gentle thump as if he had tapped it. The bark wasn¡¯t cracked at all. The tree didn¡¯t shake. Not one leaf fell. A cold hand grasped his heart. Something was very wrong. With a wave, he summoned the Covenant with the Gods and made terrifying discoveries. Elian Ward | Human | Level:1 Health: 150/150 Energy: 50/50 ATTRIBUTES: Attack Power: 0 Magic Power: 0 Armor: 1,620 Magic Resilience: 0 DIVINE BESTOWAL: Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye III Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal I Attack and Magic Power both started at a hundred the last time. His Armor and Magic Resilience should be ten each. The Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye reduced his Magic Power to zero as a penalty. That was supposed to happen. But why was his Attack Power, which was supposed to have increased, turned zero as well? And what was this other Curse? He hadn¡¯t heard of it before. Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal Transfer all your Attack Power and Magic Power to your Armor, becoming helpless in a fight while gaining durability beyond measure. Suffer the ultimate vulnerability to magic in return for quadrupling your Armor. So wills the Elder Giant, whose skin is impervious to steel but not magic. ¡°Elder Giant?¡± Elian replayed his last moments before dying. Was the dark wall that came up behind the Giant King one of the Elder Giants? Was the awakening ritual already completed? If so, even if they had enough forces to kill the Giant King, their mission would have been in vain and humanity still would¡¯ve lost. Elder Giants were considered deities by other gods before they were defeated thousands of years ago. The Giant King must¡¯ve somehow suspected what Elian was doing¡ªperhaps he was knowledgeable of the Timekeeper¡¯s shenanigans¡ªand asked the Elder Giant to counter it. The Elder Giant couldn¡¯t overcome the authority of the Timekeeper, but he sure could make life very hard for the returned Elian. Bizarrely, the Elder Giant was able to inflict him with a Greater Curse. It should start from a Lesser Curse and it was up to Elian to invest Favor in it. Another thing was that it stuck with him through the time travel. His two Curses affecting each other meant that for every point of Attack Power, he¡¯d gain sixteen Armor. The Elder Giant didn¡¯t know that Elian had stored the Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye and didn¡¯t account for this interaction. But it wasn¡¯t something to celebrate. From a healer who couldn¡¯t heal himself, to a tank who couldn¡¯t heal himself and was a wet toilet paper defending against magic. And he didn¡¯t have any Attack or Magic Power to contribute to a fight! Elian rested his forehead on the tree and closed his eyes to compose himself. ¡°Fine,¡± he said after several minutes. ¡°If the Giant King wants me to stay on the sidelines of every battle, so be it. I have plenty of testing to do to see how things would play out. I can always return to the past and¡ª¡± Can I still return? He hurriedly checked the Covenant again to make sure his eyes weren¡¯t tricking him. Two Greater Curses. Nothing else. The Greater Boon of the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift was gone. Was it a one-time thing? ¡°Timekeeper!¡± Elian walked around the tree, shouting for the Timekeeper to show himself. He wasn¡¯t expecting that creepy cloaked man carrying a dozen kinds of clocks to respond. The first and only time they met was right after the Timekeeper randomly yanked Elian from Earth. In the whiteness of the dimension called the In-Between, the Timekeeper granted Elian his Boon and plopped him on Fellenyr with the task of saving humanity from getting wiped out. This time, Elian didn¡¯t come from the In-Between. He was from the future, carrying two Curses. He wasn¡¯t the same Elian granted the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift or else he wouldn¡¯t have the Curses. There must be a time travel paradox explanation for this that he wouldn¡¯t understand anyway. Bottom line, there were no more second chances. If he died¡­ that was it. His mind raced. He wasn¡¯t giving up. Searching the field for a stone, he found one the size of his fist. If his punches couldn¡¯t do any harm, would wielding a weapon circumvent the limitation? He repeatedly hit the trunk with the stone. The ¡®hit¡¯ became a tap. Other than a few tiny scratches on the tree that must¡¯ve come from the stone¡¯s rough surface rubbing against the bark, there was no other damage. Frustrated, Elian threw the stone up. It got lodged in between branches. He looked up and laughed. It reminded him of a basketball stuck to the side of the hoop. Been a long time since he had played basketball. Not that he was any good at it. Just a bunch of unfit office guys trying to get some exercise after work, relaxing before diving into the horrible commute on the way home. He was starting to forget the faces of his friends. The Timekeeper promised to return Elian to Earth after he saved the humans of Fellenyr. He might never meet any of his family and friends again because of the Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal weighing him down. What am I going to do now? Elian asked the stone above him. A gust of wind rolled over and made the tree sway its branches. Even the wind could do more to the tree than him. As the tree danced, the stone got free and fell on his head. It harmlessly bounced off of him because of his high Armor and landed on a fallen twig on the ground.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The stone broke the twig. ¡°Newton!¡± Elian jolted at the epiphany. ¡°Wait. Newton¡¯s the guy who got hit by the apple, right? Not Einstein? Oh, wrong time period.¡± If Elian was having difficulties remembering his life before he was taken from Earth, science lessons in school were a distant memory. Elian picked up the stone and dropped it a few more times on pieces of bark and twigs. Whether he dropped it from a branch or straight from his hand, the expected happened¡ªthe falling stone damaged whatever it landed on. The Elder Giant¡¯s Curse didn¡¯t work in this case because Elian wasn¡¯t doing any attacks, hence his zero Attack Power wasn¡¯t a hindrance. Conversely, if Elian threw that same stone at the tree, it didn¡¯t do anything. He was technically attacking the tree with the stone. ¡°I¡¯m not so helpless after all,¡± Elian said, sitting next to the tree. ¡°Given how this Curse worked, I still should be able to use bombs and potions.¡± Did a crossbow count? It wasn¡¯t the shooter who propelled the bolt forward but rather the rope pulled back by mechanisms. But the line in the Curse about ¡°becoming helpless in a fight¡± might extend to a crossbow since it was still a weapon he¡¯d operate. He¡¯d figure that out with more testing. This was the hand he had been dealt with. No use complaining and moping. Always look on the bright side. That was his mantra to survive the corporate world as one of the cogs of the massive wheel. He¡¯d drown in misery if he only focused on the negative. He was very hard to kill. A very huge deal in this dangerous world. He also didn¡¯t need to spend any Favor Points leveling the Abyssal Eye¡¯s Curse while the Elder Giant¡¯s Curse only had two more levels to go before its highest tier. He should avoid taking any more Curses because they couldn¡¯t be Melded together like Boons. Be more conscious of what Boons to fill up the remaining six slots for Divine Bestowals. Wrapping up his self-pep talk, Elian headed to Wendell¡¯s house. The kind old man would give him breakfast, and he could begin training. Unlike the humans of Fellenyr who were born with the Covenant, Elian obtained it as an adult. His actions had just started to be taken into account for attributes. Every level gives one Favor Point. Unlike the RPGs he used to play, the level-up didn¡¯t give points to Strength, Agility, or those sorts of things. There was none of those in Fellenyr. A person doing push-ups would increase his strength, and that would be reflected by higher Attack Power. Studying and practicing magic spells would increase Magic Power. That meant people slowly increased their attributes through the years. Elian had a lot of catching up to do. Walking up to the door of the small farmhouse, Elian breathed deeply, taking in the smell of grass and manure. There was also the scent of freshly baked bread. He arrived just in time. He sorely missed this place and also felt guilty he wasn¡¯t able to return here. Elian never saw Wendell and Thalia, his wife, ever again. This area and the rest of the valley would be trampled by the Giants in a few years. Elian knocked on the wooden door, barely making a sound. ¡°Good morning!¡± he loudly said. He spoke Angloise, an odd mix of oldish sort of English and the other languages of Fellenyr. Humans weren¡¯t native to Fellenyr, which was why the Giants wanted to wipe them out. A long time ago, different groups of humans from around the Renaissance Period of Earth got transported here. They survived and thrived, mingling with the other races. Hundreds of years later, humans carved a large portion of the biggest continent as their own territory. The door opened and out came an elderly man, stooped because of age but retaining some muscles due to working hard every day. He raised a bushy white brow and looked over Elian, no doubt wondering about his half-Asian features and his clothes from Earth. Elian¡¯s black hair in a crew cut wasn¡¯t common for men in this world. Probably most notable for the old man was Elian¡¯s complexion, with no hint of working under the sun as he spent most of his waking hours in an air-conditioned office. ¡°Mornin¡¯, good sir,¡± said Wendell, assuming that Elian was someone high-born from abroad. ¡°How may I help you? Are you lost?¡± When Wendell and Elian first met in the original timeline, they skirted the cliff of incoherence. Angloise had just enough English words for Elian to understand maybe ten percent of the conversation. It was the pronunciations that made comprehending them more difficult. Wendell also had thought Elian was a noble or the son of a rich merchant who had lost his way or been left behind by his caravan. The old man took him in and gave him food and a roof over his head for a month while Elian learned about the new world. If there was an award for the most charitable person on Fellenyr, Elian would give that to Wendell. ¡°I¡¯m not lost,¡± Elian said, smiling so broadly it must¡¯ve appeared unsettling. He wanted to hug the old man but that¡¯d make things awkward. ¡°My name¡¯s Elian Ward from Gilders beyond the Sunder Valley.¡± Wendell gave an airy whistle through his missing tooth. ¡°Sunder Valley? That fiery wilderness next to Cinder Town? I know someone from Cinder. That¡¯s a mighty long way away, young man.¡± Wendell leaned to the left and looked behind Elian. ¡°Don¡¯t have anyone else with you? How did you get here?¡± ¡°With two groffs pulling my wagon,¡± was Elian¡¯s reply. He was prepared for his second first meeting with Wendell. ¡°But the axle was broken. That rough patch of road outside the town claims credit for causing our party such a headache.¡± Wendell scratched his sharp chin covered by a patchy beard. ¡°I¡¯ve been tellin¡¯ the mayor we should get that fixed. You¡¯re not the first one to suffer misfortune there. Where¡¯s your wagon and groffs?¡± ¡°I left them in town with my companions while I visit you. I decided to walk because it¡¯s not too far. Good thing the road passes through here is in a much better condition. Made walking easier.¡± ¡°Visit me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an acquaintance of your friend, Patel of Gilders. Always offers me a discount for the supplies I buy from his shop. Whenever my family butchers a Filloswine, I make sure to give him the head. He adores it. Patel told me that you gave him a Filloswine head as a gift on his wedding day. I came here to say hello and see if you have a message I can bring to him.¡± Wendell¡¯s face lit up and more wrinkles appeared at the mention of Patel. ¡°You know my childhood best friend? Damn right, he likes his Filloswine. Eats so much of it he ends up lookin¡¯ like one too. Er, it¡¯s been years since I last saw him. Is he still¡­?¡± Wendell shaped a large belly in front of him. ¡°Most definitely,¡± said Elian. Five years from now, he¡¯d walk into Patel¡¯s store to stock supplies for exploring Sunder Valley. Their conversation would lead to another until Patel realized that Elian had met Wendell. ¡°Come on in.¡± Wendell opened the door wider. ¡°Any man who makes sure Patel doesn¡¯t lose weight is a friend of mine.¡± Elian couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgic as he looked around the cramped house made of logs. Fifteen years he lived on Fellenyr and he¡¯d never forget his first month. This farmer couple was a blessing to him. He had zero idea of survival. Typing away on a computer for twelve hours a day never prepared him for the mission that the Timekeeper gave him. Wendell introduced his wife and they all shared a meal of bread and soup with vegetables. Thalia thought their meal was too simple for a well-off-looking guest like Elian, so she cooked a few slices of the cured ham hanging from the rafters and fried a few eggs. ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Elian said. ¡°It makes me feel inadequate for not bringing a gift.¡± ¡°No worries about that, Sir Ward of Gilders,¡± said Thalia. ¡°We scarcely have a guest in this part of the valley. Enjoy it here after your long trip.¡± ¡°It is relaxing on your farm. I was supposed to have a quick chat before returning to town, but I¡¯m thinking of staying until the sun sets if that¡¯s okay with you. Enjoy the air and the beauty of the landscape. Our group will resume traveling tomorrow.¡± Wendell took the plate of sizzling ham and eggs and placed them in front of Elian. ¡°You can sleep here for the night if you want. Tell us stories of Patel, and your travels as well. Storm God knows we get no news ¡®round here.¡± Elian readily agreed, for he intentionally stirred the conversation this way. This was what he had been waiting for. Tonight, a Myrclaw would come to attack the farm. It escaped from a passing caravan transporting beasts for a nobleman¡¯s collection and somehow wandered here. Elian would make sure no harm came to the couple. This wasn¡¯t related to the big picture of defeating the Giants. This was about saving his friends. And because he¡¯d earn money for fixing the nobleman¡¯s problem. 3. Cursed Lemonade A hearty breakfast and an enjoyable chat with the farmer couple lessened Elian¡¯s frustration with the Elder Giant¡¯s curse. Elian insisted on helping with washing the plates. It used to be his task when he stayed here. ¡°Your clothes, Sir Ward.¡± Thalia peered at it. ¡°What incredible quality. I¡¯ve never seen such a fabric before.¡± Polyester from Earth. Of course, she hadn¡¯t encountered anything like it. ¡°My father bought it when he visited the Nadpani Desert. This is common there. Light and airy, protects the skin from the harsh sun while keeping the body cool.¡± ¡°Nadpani Desert?¡± Wendell asked. ¡°First time I¡¯ve heard of that place. Your family is well-traveled.¡± ¡°Part of the business of trade.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been to any desert. I wouldn¡¯t step foot on one. My beloved Thalia and I are sticking to farmin¡¯ this land of my father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually interested in the business of farming,¡± Elian said. ¡°Perhaps you can show me around? I¡¯d love to help you with your chores.¡± ¡°Not much of a business of farmin¡¯ here to show,¡± Wendell said. ¡°I would describe our day as the business of stayin¡¯ alive. But I¡¯ll be glad to show you our humble farm. It¡¯s humble, and I¡¯m proud of it.¡± Wendell took Elian to the animals and was surprised he knew how to feed them. This was also part of Elian¡¯s daily duties in the first timeline. The groffs mooed and goat-like markhut bleated while he gave them food. With the animals fed and watered, they went to chop some wood next. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to fail at this.¡± Elian nodded at the log while holding an axe. He had asked for a turn at the chopping block. He already knew this wasn¡¯t going to work but might as well take the opportunity to test if this counted as an attack. ¡°You can do it, young man,¡± Wendell said after giving him tips on how to swing correctly. ¡°Go on. Try it.¡± Elian swung the axe as he had done many times in the past. The bladed head descended straight for the standing log. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Wendell cheered. ¡°You got¡ªwhat?¡± But Elian wasn¡¯t able to cut the log. Only a small part of its blade bit into the wood, the weight of its head pulling it down. The Curse canceled his whole force. Elian grinned, scratching the back of his head in faked embarrassment. ¡°Better if I just help with stacking the logs.¡± ¡°Ye-yes. You can do that.¡± A distracted Wendell looked up from examining the axe. He must be thinking that he forgot to sharpen it. Elian wracked his brains while arranging the logs against the side of the house. The Elder Giant¡¯s Curse was more problematic than he thought. Can I get rid of it? He knew of ways to remove Curses in general. It usually depended on who cast the Curse and how reasonable they were of a deity. Other deities could also step in and intervene, though most found it abhorrent to stick their divine noses in the business of others. What about a Curse from the future? Could another deity dispel it? Rather than puzzling over a possible impossibility, Elian decided to focus his energy on planning how to use the Curse to his advantage. As they say back on Earth, if life gives you Cursed lemons, make Cursed lemonade with it. Something would buy that if marketed right. Throughout the day, Elian helped with other tasks, insisting on physical labor. He explained that it was payment for the food. Wendell didn¡¯t want him to help because he was supposed to be a guest, so Elian then gave the fake story that he always wanted to work the land but his family never allowed him. There was something to the story of a rich man working as a farmer that made it endearing. Wendell and Thalia had a higher view of him upon hearing it. It helped that Elian was already familiar with what to do. ¡°Be prepared, young man,¡± Wendell said. ¡°If you¡¯ve never worked this much before, your muscles are goin¡¯ to complain of soreness tomorrow. Ready with a health potion. I bet you can afford a good quality bottle or two.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cherish the soreness as proof of my hard work,¡± Elian replied, fully knowing that his inherent Armor would counteract the soreness. Another positive point for the Elder Giant¡¯s Curse. His Armor had increased by sixteen points¡ªexperiment done. He must¡¯ve gained a single Attack Power as the physical labor strengthened his body. When he had the Lesser Boon of the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift, it took him four times longer to gain an attribute. When he had leveled the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift to a Greater Boon, the penalty lessened to only halving his attribute gain. ¡°I¡¯ve never done any carpentry,¡± said Elian while observing Wendell repairing a fence. ¡°With your guidance, maybe I can make something simple.¡± The simple thing Elian wanted to make was a wooden shield. He tricked Wendell into teaching him how to build a short section of a fence but ¡®accidentally¡¯ fitted the planks close to each other. Two more planks secured the others, one bracing across the top and the other in the bottom. With this, he had something to use against the Myrclaw come nighttime. ¡°That¡¯s, uh, a fence.¡± It was clear on Wendell¡¯s face that he didn¡¯t want to criticize Elian¡¯s work. Elian laughed. ¡°I know I did poorly. This is more like a shield than a fence. Let¡¯s just attach a handle here so it¡¯d be a shield. Then I can say I didn¡¯t make a mistake.¡± Several minutes later, Elian had a shield. Elian Ward | Human | Level:1 Health: 150/150 Energy: 50/50 ATTRIBUTES: Attack Power: 0 Magic Power: 0 Armor: 1,716 Magic Resilience: 0Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The wooden shield gave a pittance of an Armor boost, as he expected, doubled by the Elder Giant¡¯s Curse. This would do for tonight. It was a juvenile Myrclaw that would be groggy from sedatives administered to it for the trip. Whoever was in charge of the sedatives made a mistake because it wasn¡¯t enough. Come nightfall, the farmer couple offered their house to Elian while they¡¯d sleep in one of the smaller barns. Elian declined, of course. He wanted to sleep in the barn because he missed the experience. ¡°If you insist for me to sleep in your house, I¡¯ll leave,¡± Elian said. ¡°Your house is your house. I¡¯m not squeamish to sleep in the barn.¡±And if he was in the barn, he¡¯d meet the Myrclaw first. The previous time, he hid in the barn as the Myrclaw started killing the animals. He only got out when Wendell started to fight the beast and Thalia called for help. Both he and Wendell were injured in the fight, but they managed to drive away the Myrclaw. Elian was surprised at the bout of bravery that surfaced from the depths of his being. Becoming a hero was possible for him. Such a chaotic night that was. The following morning, they learned that the Myrclaw was killed by the town guards after it had mauled another farmer. Covering piles of hay with a blanket made them quite comfortable. Elian stared at the moonlight pouring through the window as he wondered about the changes to his plans given his predicament. His short-term goal remained the same¡ªbecome stronger. Not sure what the definition of stronger would be now that all of his attributes got turned zero except for Armor. He should figure something out soon and prepare for the first attack of the Giants eight months from now. He closed his eyes and willed his body to sleep, a trick taught him by soldiers during the Siege of Tulla. He needed to rest his body for the action. It was only a couple of hours until the Myrclaw would come. The frantic shrieking of markhuts awoke Elian. Grabbing the brand-new shield that he made, he rushed out of the barn to find the Myrclaw. The hound-like creature could reach the size of a lion on Earth. But this specific one was only half of that. Still very dangerous though even if it was drugged. The full moon and the clear sky full of stars lit the farm. Elian kept his eyes on the shadows. A Myrclaw could cloak itself in darkness for almost perfect camouflage. It also moved faster while in the shadows. A trail of fresh blood shimmered under the moonlight. Elian followed it to the carcass of a markhut with its stomach torn open. The Myrclaw left its prey because it sniffed out a better one. Up ahead were the stalls of groff cows nursing their calves. The Myrclaw would prefer the soft flesh of the calves. By now, Wendell and his wife had stirred. Falling pots clanged. Wendell must¡¯ve pulled his rusty spear that propped up the side of the faulty cabinet. Two lanterns exited the farmhouse. One went to the barn¡ªthat was Thalia checking on Elian. Unlike last time, she wouldn¡¯t find him hiding in the rafters. The other lantern fast approached as it swayed. Wendell¡¯s spear glinted from the lantern¡¯s light. ¡°Wendell, I¡¯m here!¡± Elian shouted. His voice was drowned by the rumbling of the groffs. ¡°Sir Ward? What are you doing there?¡± ¡°Follow me! A Myrclaw is attacking your farm.¡± Elian didn¡¯t wait for Wendell to catch up. With his shield raised, he entered the dark barn, barely lit by moonlight poking through holes in the roof. The Myrclaw, hard to discern in the shadows, had cornered one of the groff cows in its stall. The cow¡¯s calf trembled on the ground. The Myrclaw approached it. Its mother grunted but was too afraid of the Myrclaw to attack. They have been bred for generations to be docile. ¡°Tasty human over here!¡± Elian hooted and howled to draw the Myrclaw¡¯s attention. ¡°Come and get me!¡± It worked. The shadowy predator dissolved into smoke and slipped through the wooden fence of the stall. Elian walked backward out of the barn. The Myrclaw followed him, returning to its solid form as it basked in moonlight. Elian retreated diagonally sideways. He wanted a certain angle to the wall. The Myrclaw slowly approached him, eyes burning red from its hatred of humans. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what they¡¯ve done to you,¡± Elian said. ¡°But I can¡¯t let you kill more.¡± ¡°Sir Ward!¡± Wendell shouted somewhere behind him. ¡°Get away from the beast!¡± The Myrclaw snarled and poised to leap. Elian bent low and charged with his shield, slamming into the Myrclaw before it pushed off the ground. Didn¡¯t hurt the Myrclaw but that wasn¡¯t his goal. He continued with his rush and pinned the thrashing predator to the barn wall. This isn¡¯t an attack, he thought with a smirk. On its hindlegs, the Myrclaw couldn¡¯t push Elian back. But it could still hurt him as only a thin wooden shield separated them. The Myrclaw chomped on the top portion of the shield. It also tried to reach around with its forelegs. Claws slashed Elian¡¯s clothes from the Nadpani Desert department store and wounded him. Pain. But not much. ¡°For the Storm God!¡± Wendell speared the left flank of the Myrclaw. The beast wailed but was still alive. It lunged forward, clambering over the shield¡¯s chewed top. Elian leaned sideways while maintaining the pressure. The Myrclaw sunk its fangs into his shoulders. Broke some of them too. ¡°No!¡± Wendell cried out. ¡°Finish it! I¡¯m not letting it go.¡± Wendell ran his spear through the beast twice more, the last stab was into the neck. The Myrclaw let one last moan, unlatching its jaws from Elian¡¯s shoulders, and slumped on him. Elian pushed it aside and discarded the remnants of his shield. It served him well. He leveled up from the encounter and gained one Favor Point. Though he couldn¡¯t use it for now. Lesser Boons and Curses needed only a point to progress, but their Greater counterparts required three. Two more levels before he could increase the tier of the Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal I. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Wendell took Elian¡¯s right arm and draped it over his shoulder. ¡°Let us return to the house and tie your wounds before you bleed to death.¡± They found out that Wendell need not worry because Elian¡¯s wounds weren¡¯t as deep as would be expected from a Myrclaw attack. Well, Elian already expected this because he knew his Armor was massive for a human wearing only a shirt. It was as if his skin was padded leather. The Covenant displayed that he lost only twenty or so Health. Wendell and Thalia were the ones surprised. ¡°The Storm Gods bless us,¡± said Thalia, shaking her clasped hands at the ceiling. ¡°How horrid for a Myrclaw to appear. Caught us unprepared. It¡¯s not yet cold in the north for them to wander this way.¡± ¡°It probably came from somewhere nearby,¡± Elian said, trying not to smile. ¡°A noble lost his pet.¡± ¡°Apologies for lackin¡¯ the proper potions.¡± Wendell rummaged through the cupboard. ¡°They¡¯re mighty expensive for people like us to keep around. Turns stale too often. All we have are some herb pastes.¡± ¡°Those would work fine,¡± Elian said. The Abyssal Eye¡¯s Curse diminished the effect of potions on him anyway. Part of his plan was to rely on magical plants to sustain him in battle. He made impressive headway in his studies during his past life. A Boon for herbalism should be included in his Divine Bestowals, maybe from the Goddess Floralia or the Sabyn Twins of Autumn. ¡°We also have ale have for your pains.¡± Wendell shook a bottle. ¡°Helps you sleep as well.¡± Elian smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll take that too.¡± The next morning, the town mayor arrived on horseback flanked by two of his guards in shabby equipment. Wendell had gone to town early to give word about the Myrclaw. Behind the three visitors was a fourth man with bronzed skin wrapped in cloths of different colorful designs held together by golden chains. The horse he rode was similarly decorated in Khazan¡¯s flamboyant and intricate fashion. Elian recognized him as the subordinate of the beast dealer. ¡°Wendell, we came as soon as we could,¡± said the mayor. It was midday, so that was several hours from the time he was informed. Looking for the man in the colorful cocoon must¡¯ve taken long. ¡°This fine gentleman here is Malvar. He wants to compensate you for the damage the beast caused.¡± 4. Setting Out Once Again In Elian¡¯s mind, he was already rubbing his hands. Money to buy supplies for my trip. ¡°Compensate?¡± Wendell asked. ¡°Why so?¡± Malvar stepped forward and thumped his chest with a fist turned outward, the Khazanite greeting of peace. ¡°The Myrclaw that caused you damage is ours.¡± He proceeded to explain what Elian already knew about their caravan of beasts. What about becoming a beast tamer? It was an option Elian considered while brainstorming alternatives last night given that the Elder Giant ruined the plans that he spent years preparing. He knew of many strong beast tamers fielding powerful monsters. They had five among the forces that attacked Blunderbore. But there was the issue of time. He had zero clue about beast-taming. Impossible he¡¯d have a beast army ready to fight the Giants docking their massive ship at Sarnival Port in eight months. Just seven months, actually. He needed to join and win Sarnival Port¡¯s tournament first to gain an audience with its rulers and convince them of the threat. No one was going to listen to a nobody. If he won the tournament, all eyes would be on him. Seven months. ¡°We sincerely apologize for the mishap,¡± Malvar said. ¡°I assure you that the negligent person accountable for it has been punished.¡± Thalia gasped. ¡°It really was a nobleman¡¯s pet. Sir Ward was right.¡± The mayor gave Elian a probing look. ¡°Wendell, is this the injured man you¡¯ve told me about?¡± Elian bowed in the Southern manner. ¡°Good morning, mayor. Just visiting your quaint town and Wendell¡¯s farm. Imagine my surprise when a Myrclaw attacked us.¡± He took off the long-sleeved tunic he wore and rolled up the shorter sleeves of his thin shirt underneath¡ªboth hand-me-downs from Wendell¡ªto show his upper arms in wrappings. Then he pulled the shirt¡¯s neckline to the side and presented his bandaged shoulder and neck where the Myrclaw bit him. Malvar nodded while stroking the gold chains on his chest. ¡°Supremely unfortunate. Although it can also be thought of as good fortune that this is all you suffered.¡± ¡°Always look on the bright side,¡± Elian said. ¡°It¡¯s a good mindset in this harsh world.¡± ¡°The Seven Deities gaze upon you. You will be compensated. I understand some farm animals also perished. I¡¯ll pay for them as well.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you have normal pets?¡± Wendell demanded in a quivering voice. His forehead turned red. He was on the verge of shouting but minded his manners and kept himself in check. ¡°Why choose those that could kill people? Pick a markhut or even a plant.¡± ¡°Some plants are dangerous,¡± Malvar replied, not understanding that it was a rhetorical question. ¡°We also have customers for those, like the Thorned Vine¡ª¡± ¡°We could¡¯ve died! What use is your compensation then?¡± ¡°Now, now, Wendell,¡± said the mayor. ¡°No one wanted this to happen. An accident is what it is. You¡¯re still standing on your two feet, aren¡¯t you? This¡­ Ward¡­ is too. Accept the money as a settlement.¡± Malvar gave a bag of coins to Wendell and another to Elian. Wendell was somewhat appeased by the amount; the Khazanite paid for the killed markhuts as if they were fully fattened. Elian counted the money¡ªit was more than the payment last time¡ªand started to compute his shopping later. ¡°Wendell, let not this matter tarry in your mind.¡± The mayor turned his horse around and led his party away. ¡°Buy yourself a drink. Enjoy your windfall.¡± Watching the four men and their horses disappear over the crest of the hill, Elian said, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to leave too. I would¡¯ve gone earlier if we didn¡¯t wait so long for the mayor.¡± Wendell and Thalia insisted that Elian stay another day or two. They were adamant to make up for his sleep interrupted by a murderous beast and repaying his help in saving their animals. ¡°Let me convince your friends that travelin¡¯ with fresh injuries would make it worse,¡± Wendell said. ¡°The wagon¡¯s bouncin¡¯ and shakin¡¯ will tear your wounds open. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re all welcome on my farm. I tried lookin¡¯ for your friends in town to invite them back with me but nothin¡¯. Are you sure they¡¯re there?¡± ¡°They must be at the watering hole for groffs,¡± Elian was quick to reply. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry that I truly can¡¯t stay longer. Business dealings, you know how it goes. I¡¯ll come visit when we pass this way again.¡± Carrying vegetables and fruits wrapped in wide geseum leaves to keep them fresh and a letter to Patel, Elian waved goodbye to the farmer couple. He vowed in his heart to stop the Giants invading the valley someday.
Elian strode into the town of Ambervale, reminiscing about his weekly trips there accompanying Wendell to sell his farm¡¯s produce. Was it Ambervale or Amberwynd? He couldn¡¯t remember the town¡¯s exact name because it was unremarkable as could be. The only thing that could be considered of note was the ten-foot statue of its founder named Ambervale¡­ or Amberwynd. The townspeople claimed that the statue was made to scale¡ªtheir founder was that tall because he had Giant blood in him. Couldn¡¯t be true. How would that even work? A Giant and a human? Even if someone very determined could think of something, it would be impossible to¡­ implement¡­ because the Giants left the continent and sailed to the Forgotten Lands three hundred years before the first humans arrived in this world. The Forgotten Lands would become the Remembered Lands. As in, the various races on the continent would remember there were Giants somewhere on lands beyond the vast seas. A grim reminder filled with blood and death. ¡°Time¡­¡± Elian shook his head with a dejected smile. He was the Timekeeper¡¯s chosen one but lacked time. In the face of this irony, all he could do was smile. ¡°My old plan would¡¯ve worked.¡± From Ambervale or Amberwynd, he was supposed to travel to the War Monastery of the Thrice Avenged Commander. There he¡¯d learn the Forms of the warrior monks and obtain Divine Commander Cael¡¯s Boon of increasing Attack Power if not wearing any armor. Not only would those have synergized well with Elian¡¯s chosen Curse, but he also would¡¯ve saved plenty of time because the fighting techniques he wanted to learn and the Boon suited for them were in the same place. Traveling on foot was so slow¡­ but probably faster than the traffic¡¯s pace during rush hour back on Earth. Too bad he wouldn¡¯t get to see the surprised faces of the warrior monks as he¡¯d progress exponentially because of the Abyssal Eye¡¯s Curse. Instead of the War Monastery to the east, he decided to head west to Sabyn Mountain where the Sabyn Herbalist Lodges sat.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Malvar the Khazanite was right¡ªsome plants were dangerous. Elian read about Guardian Herbalists using monster plants to defend their mountain. Elian had already planned to pick up herbalism, studying extensively about magical plants in the previous timeline, so why not use plants that could fight too? Same concept as a beast tamer with the advantage of not starting from scratch. Did he have enough time with this revised plan? The only way to find out was to go to the Sabyn Mountains and make it happen. He had to be prepared for the arrival of the Giants no matter what. ¡°Hello?¡± Elian entered a sort of general store at the center of the town. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± The shopkeeper emerged from the backroom and gruffly asked. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Supplies for a journey through the mountains.¡± He raised his money bag and jiggled it. The shopkeeper brought the things Elian asked for such as a waterskin, dried meat, matches, woolen cloaks and blankets, ropes, and various other tools. He thought of buying a tent but changed his mind because hammering stakes into the ground probably counted as an attack. Since Elian was buying many items, the shopkeeper switched to friendly mode. ¡°Where are you going?¡± the shopkeeper asked while helping Elian ack his purchases into a bag. ¡°Are you traveling alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my own, heading to the mountains of Sabyn. Do you know the way there?¡± Elian could draw a detailed map of the route to the War Monastery but only roughly knew the direction to the Sabyn Mountains. He¡¯d much prefer to study herbalism at the Forest of the Goddess Floralia but it¡¯d take months to get there. ¡°Should be ¡®bout two weeks from here. Follow the river that flows down the mountain outside town and you won¡¯t get lost. Why do you want to go there if you don¡¯t mind me asking? I¡¯ve heard plants there could get plenty fierce. The people too¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for herbs that might cure my mother¡¯s ailment,¡± Elian said, ready with another fake story. ¡°Potions don¡¯t work on her. The top-quality ones might, but we don¡¯t have the coin for those.¡± The Sabyn Herbalists had an unsavory reputation because their plants¡­ could eat people. It was also common knowledge in these parts that the Sabyn Twins of Autumn hated humans. Couldn¡¯t blame them because humans cut down forests to make settlements. Still, Elian didn¡¯t want the shopkeeper to know that he planned to join the Sabyn Herbalists. ¡°So sorry to hear that. I genuinely am,¡± the shopkeeper said. ¡°How about try visiting the Temples of Tribulation?¡± ¡°The Temples of Tribulation?¡± Elian had heard of this place but only had a cursory knowledge of their practices and Boons. It was also due west but on a route that veered away from the Sabyn Mountains. ¡°I heard their deity could grant wishes to those that survive a strike from the heavens. Now, I¡¯m not telling you to go do their trials, lad. You might die. I won¡¯t want that burden on my conscious. However, you can ask their priests if they know of a cure if their god is as powerful as claimed. They also have pilgrims coming from other countries. Who knows, they might bring remedies you¡¯ve never heard of before. It¡¯s better to look for a cure there than ask the Sabyn Witches.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡± Elian had no desire to waste time going to the Temples of Tribulation. ¡°How much for all of these?¡± A heavy backpack weighing on his shoulders, Elian¡¯s next stop was the leather craftsman¡¯s workshop for a leather vest. A modest protection to add to his inherent Armor, bringing it up to almost nineteen hundred. The craftsman offered him finer works, such as studded leather or those reinforced with metal plates. There was even one Enchanted armor for sale. But Elian¡¯s purse complained. No way he could afford even the buckles of an Enchanted item. The first time that Elian left the town, he headed south to the City of Mists. He met Yanira there and learned about Boons and Curses. Their meeting had to be postponed because he¡¯d go west this time. Elian waved goodbye at the stature of Ambervale or Amberwynd, took one last look at the town he wouldn¡¯t see for the next few years, and set off on his journey.
Firmly gripping the vines coiling out of the rock cracks, Elian pulled himself up the steep slope. The climb was certainly a challenge for his untrained body fresh from the sedentary hell of an office cubicle. His wounds burned from the strain and some bled again. But there was no going back. He didn¡¯t know how to descend from this spot. Onward was his only option. He didn¡¯t follow the river as the shopkeeper instructed. Cutting through the mountains, he hoped to shorten his travel time by a few days. All this hiking also trained his body. Was it dangerous? Yes. He did fall about an hour ago when he lost his footing on slimy moss-covered rocks. Good thing he had a durable body. It wasn¡¯t like wearing a suit of metal armor and rolling over rocks. A normal person would get a concussion and other injuries while getting bunged up inside their metal casing. Rather, Elian¡¯s body was the Armor so he suffered only bruises and shallow cuts. Falling still wasn¡¯t advisable though. The sun rolling lower in the sky told Elian he¡¯d been traveling for around four hours. A couple more hours before night would fall. Daylights were longer this far north during summer, so he had more time to travel. He continued his ascent and found the slope angling gentler. He was almost out of breath and his arms were ready to give up. The next day¡¯s travel was easier because he descended the mountain¡ªthe first of several mountains along the way. It was still something to celebrate. His muscles began to adjust to his strenuous activity, his Armor making him skip the soreness part. Thank you, Elder Giant, for giving me this Curse. Just kidding. He¡¯d rather not have it. The solitude of the forest gave Elian plenty of time to plan¡­ and realize the tremendous challenge posed by the Elder Giant¡¯s Curse. He wracked his memories for deities he could approach and techniques or spells that could work with his unfortunate condition. At any rate, having zero Attack Power didn¡¯t mean he was useless. He was very useful in stopping the Myrclaw and giving Wendell the opening to kill it. Be creative in finding ways to use his durability. Thinking about the fate of humanity made time pass quickly. Days added up and a week had already passed. ¡°Almost there¡­¡± Elian sat on the cliff¡¯s edge, dangling his legs while savoring the cool mountain breeze wash over him. He spotted a winding road traversed by long lines of people. They must be the pilgrims the shopkeeper had mentioned. ¡°Almost there to the road and it¡¯s another three days of travel to the base of Sabyn Mountains.¡± Always look at the positive side, he reminded himself. It was much easier to travel on a road, even an unpaved one, instead of hiking through the mountains. He could even hitch a ride with the pilgrims and just get off when they¡¯d turn to the Temples of Tribulation. More time saved. Elian stretched out his open right hand and summoned his Favor Points. Three tiny orbs of light emerged from his palm. He had leveled up twice while taking on the challenging mountains. Most activities that improved one¡¯s self physically or mentally contributed to leveling. No need to kill monsters to gain experience points like in those computer games he used to play. ¡°I call upon the deities for my offering.¡± Streaks of glowing red formed the symbols of the Abyssal Eye on his arm. Those tattoos peeled themselves and floated in the air, forming a circular seal of rotating eyes circumscribed with runes. To follow was the dark amber pattern of the Elder Giant, geometric and sharp. They left his skin and formed a square around the picture of an angry Giant bound by chains. The Abyssal Eye¡¯s Curse was at its maximum tier so it couldn¡¯t accept more Favor Points. But the fact that it still showed up lent some credence to theories that Greater Curses could be improved like the Melding of Greater Boons. Elian never did find out if there was a way. Researching ancient ruins was a bit difficult while the war with the Giants was going on. Elian offered his Favor Points to the Elder Giant¡¯s Curse. The three orbs on his palm flew to the seal of the Elder Giant. Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal Transfer all your Attack Power and Magic Power to your Armor, becoming helpless in a fight while gaining durability beyond measure. Suffer the ultimate vulnerability to magic in return for quadrupling your Armor. So wills the Elder Giant, whose skin is impervious to steel but not magic. 5. Penitent Scoreboard ¡°It now quadruples my Armor? With the effects of the two Curses, each point of Attack Power would give me¡ªDamn, I don¡¯t want to do math. I¡¯ll just check¡± Elian Ward | Human | Level:3 Health: 210/210 Energy: 55/55 ATTRIBUTES: Attack Power: 0 Magic Power: 0 Armor: 3,912 Magic Resilience: 0 DIVINE BESTOWAL: Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye III Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal II Elian had an accountancy degree and worked on hundreds of mind-numbing spreadsheets in the office. That was also fifteen years ago, not including time travel shenanigans. Math had mostly taken a long vacation from his mind. With this much Armor, he could throw himself down the mountainside to descend faster and survive with only minor injuries. Probably. He might also break his neck or get impaled on some jagged rocks. File away this idea for next time. It wasn¡¯t stupid¡ªhe just wasn¡¯t hard enough yet. A small part of his Armor should be from Attack Power gained as his body strengthened from all the climbing and hiking. His Health and Energy also increased a tiny bit. If he had Health points displayed on Earth, he would¡¯ve cared more for his body. Instead of consuming ultra-processed fast food, he was one with nature on Fellenyr, eating tough and salty jerky, sour unripe fruits because animals had already picked the ripe ones, and bland mushrooms around the roots of trees. I miss fast food so much. Opening a restaurant near the Temples of Tribulation would be a grand business idea seeing all the pilgrims going there. Elian exited the woods and nonchalantly joined their march. He stuck out like a sore thumb because the pilgrims wore clothes of bright blue and gold, displaying a design of concentric circles with layered triangles in the middle. Even their wagons and some groffs were painted with this symbol. Didn¡¯t the group he saw from up the cliff earlier wear red? Could be pilgrims following a different deity. ¡°Greetings on this fine day, brother.¡± An aging man with a silvery braided beard flowing down his chest approached Elian. He spoke somewhat understandable Angloise, but the clipped accent gave away his Tellerin origin. ¡°I, Borlen Bluebeard, welcome you to¡ª¡± ¡°But your beard isn¡¯t blue,¡± Elian blurted. He raised his hands. ¡°I apologize if that was insensitive. The hunger is getting to me. It¡¯s been days¡­¡± ¡°We will share our food with you,¡± said Borlen, chuckling like gentle coughs. ¡°For no one is allowed to be hungry in the company of the followers of the Penitent Tharguras. Come, brother. Sit with us and I will tell you the story of my beard and much more. We were about to pause our journey to cook lunch.¡± Talk about timing. And just like that, Elian had a free meal and new friends. He had employed this tactic of being endearingly obnoxious many times before. Sometimes people would get angry. But more often than not, people would be understanding, appreciate the apology, and accept his made-up justification. It was a high-level maneuver from the holy manual of office politics, several steps above becoming the office clown, keeping some initiative while lessening self-deprecation. The pilgrims of blue and gold set about making fires for their large pots. Every one of them, both young and old, helped prepare the ingredients, peeling and slicing the vegetables and meat, and throwing those into the pots. Each wagon carried one family and several families shared one pot of stew. Chatters and songs filled the air just like the rich scent of food. Elian felt a tug at his heart. Absorbed in the rat race of capitalism, he hadn¡¯t visited his mother and father for years. If only he met them one last time before being whisked away to another world. ¡°A happy group you have here.¡± He took a spot in the circle of pilgrims that Borlen had pointed to. ¡°My name is Elian Ward of Gilders and I¡¯m traveling to Frothlake.¡± That city was on the other side of the Sabyn Mountains, if he remembered correctly. He¡¯d rather avoid talking about the Sabyn Mountains with this many people listening. ¡°Once again, I¡¯m Borlen Bluebeard, formerly Borlen Lha¡¯ar Sarkhan of Tellerin. Our group¡¯s destination is the Temples of Tribulation. I took on the name Bluebeard when I started following Penitent Tharguras eight years ago. If you¡¯re wondering about this¡ª¡± he stroked his beard ¡°¡ªI¡¯ll dye it blue on the day our Champion Penitent receives his Tribulation.¡± Borlen introduced the other people in the circle. They were from his tribe in Tellerin that he converted into his belief. All took second or third names with the word ¡®blue¡¯ or ¡®gold¡¯ in them to show their support for this Penitent Tharguras that Elian was yet to meet. ¡°I apologize in advance if I get things wrong,¡± Elian said, ¡°but isn¡¯t this Tribulation you speak of caused by a Boon?¡± ¡°That is so, brother.¡± Borlen loosened his robes and let them fall off his shoulders to show his chest. Swirls of faded black sparkled as if the starry night sky formed patterns that looked like scales. In the middle of his chest, the swirls straightened into jagged strokes of thin triangles, arranging themselves into familiar patterns. ¡°Twenty-four,¡± Elian said. Borlen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oho! You can read Kymorathi script?¡± The Kymorathi were an ancient civilization of magic far older than the Giants. They forged the Covenant with the Gods, receiving Boons and Curses. Expectedly, they used that power for war and wiped themselves out. Tale as old as time. Quite literally, in their case. ¡°Only their numbers,¡± Elian replied. ¡°If I could read their words, I¡¯ll have a job at the Imperial Library of Solvi instead of getting lost in the forest. Learned it from the Runebreaker living in our town.¡± ¡°How blessed to have such an opportunity. I¡¯m incapable of reading Kymorathi numbers but know this is the symbol for twenty-four because that is how many Tribulations I have survived. Those with the Boon granted by the Hundred-Armed Magistrate can present themselves to face the Tribulation once a day.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°This Tribulation is a strike coming down from the sky, isn¡¯t it?¡± Elian asked, repeating the information from the shopkeeper of Ambervale or Amberwynd. He also heard rumors in his past life about this bizarre Boon. ¡°And if you survive this strike, you¡¯ll get stronger?¡± ¡°That is so, brother,¡± Borlen said. ¡°Prove to the Magistrate your resilience and you will be rewarded accordingly¡ªan increase in the attribute of your choosing. Each Tribulation will be stronger than the last, the rewards greater¡­ if one survives.¡± ¡°So¡­ you never know if the next Tribulation will be your last.¡± Elian couched his incredulity at the craziness of the Boon as respectfully as he could. There were plenty of Boons and Curses that boosted attributes with no risk of grave injuries or even death. Why pick the Hundred-Armed Magistrate¡¯s Boon? Should be categorized as a Curse. Even then, most Curses Elian knew of didn¡¯t include the possibility of getting killed by your deity. Elian pointed at Borlen¡¯s chest. ¡°You¡¯ve survived twenty-four Tribulations. Are you preparing to take on the twenty-fifth?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. This is my limit.¡± Borlen cast a forlorn gaze at the fire. ¡°We are taught not to have regrets¡­ but I cannot overcome the regret of coming into the Hundred-Armed Magistrate¡¯s embrace too late in my years. If only I was younger. If only I was stronger. If only I wasn¡¯t injured in the war. If only I had more resources. These regrets I openly share so that I may overcome them.¡± Elian knew too well about regrets even before he left Earth. Avoiding the topic was his tried and tested strategy. ¡°What was that about resources? Did you mean money for top-tier Enchanted armor and shield for the Tribulation?¡± ¡°And hiring barrier mages, constructing protection wards, transference golems, and much more. A hefty amount of investment to meet higher Tribulations.¡± ¡°Those are allowed?¡± Elian asked in genuine surprise. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to go through a Tribulation yourself? Uh, I¡¯m just assuming that¡¯s how it works. Having the help of others dilutes the point of taking on a Tribulation, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You misunderstand, brother.¡± Borlen gestured to the other pilgrims. ¡°We are not meant to walk this world alone. The forest is not a single tree. A house is not a single brick. If I was on my own, I wouldn¡¯t have reached far. Wherever you are in life, you are there because of the help of others.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Elian could see his comrades¡¯ faces flash before him. How long could he have lasted on Fellenyr without them? If he had slept on the streets instead of in Wendell¡¯s barn, the wandering Myrclaw could¡¯ve killed him. ¡°The same principle applies to Tribulations. Alone, I am weak¡­ only twenty-four Tribulations. But if I help others, perhaps they¡¯ll travel farther in their journey. My hopes and dreams and penance, I offer to them to carry in return for supporting them.¡± Elian nodded, understanding the practices of these pilgrims. ¡°Everyone here supports this¡­ uh, Penitent Tharguras.¡± ¡°He is our Champion Penitent, blessed be his journey,¡± Borlen said. ¡°Blessed be his journey,¡± the rest of the pilgrims repeated. Borlen drew signs in the air with his hands. Circles and triangles. ¡°Penitent Tharguras has reached two hundred and seventy-eight Tribulations, presently at the third tier of the Lesser Boon of the Hundred-Armed Magistrate¡¯s Judgment. Twenty-two more and he¡¯ll reach the Greater Boon. In three days, he will present himself to receive his two hundred and seventy-ninth Tribulation. I invite you, brother, to witness it.¡± ¡°Three days? I¡¯ll be in the Sabyn Mountains by then, on my way to Frothlake. That¡¯s opposite where you¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Unlike me, you¡¯re still young,¡± said Borlen. ¡°You have many days in front of you. Spare a few to behold a miracle.¡± Should I go? Their food did smell nice. Elian was also interested in the pilgrims¡¯ preparation for the Tribulation. Might learn something useful since he¡¯d essentially build himself as a tank. The days he saved from his shortcut through the mountains would cancel this little side trip. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll witness it¡­ brother.¡±
It took Elian three days to realize the morbid ridiculousness of the situation¡ªthe Champion Penitents were competing for the high score in Tribulations with the penalty of death if they failed. Sure, the Penitents had the support of their followers. And they were formidable people, from what Elian heard of them. But no one could accurately gauge how hard the next Tribulation would hit. They might see Penitent Tharguras get obliterated later. How could people be okay with this? ¡°You¡¯ve dyed your beard blue,¡± Elian said as Borlen emerged from his wagon. ¡°To support Penitent Tharguras,¡± Borlen said. ¡°It shows I symbolically share his pain.¡± They were at a clearing as wide as three football fields, waiting for the arrival of Penitent Tharguras. A sea of blue and gold wagons and tents surrounded a deep bowl-shaped hole in the middle about twenty feet across. Borlen had earlier explained that Penitent Tharguras would stand in the hole for the Tribulation. The higher level of the earth around him was added protection. All sorts of constructions, both physical and ethereal, ringed the dug bowl. Towers carried enchantments and wards. Shards of magical domes were pieced together. If Elian didn¡¯t know what was going on, he¡¯d think they were in the middle of war. From here, the hills where the Temples of Tribulation stood were about an hour of travel away. Elian could spot some of their gleaming domes in the distance, catching the rays of the early morning sun. This clearing, Borlen had told him, was used for one last Tribulation test before the Champion Penitent returned to the Hundred-Armed Magistrate and presented their high score. Borlen didn¡¯t really call it a ¡®high score¡¯, instead saying that it was the proof of unity among the devoted. ¡°I see people in red.¡± Elian nudged his head in their direction. ¡°Those are the followers of Faridar, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Borlen replied, contempt dripping from his voice. ¡°Penitent Faridar stands at two hundred and seventy-eight Tribulations, equal to Penitent Tharguras. After today, our Champion Penitent will be the most accomplished bearer of the Magistrate¡¯s Lesser Boon. Despite all their talk of cooperation and unity, Elian found the pilgrims very competitive. Yesterday, he witnessed a scuffle when Borlen¡¯s group met pilgrims that supported Faridar. The groups were like different denominations of a religion. Amusing that humans of Fellenyr weren¡¯t too far away from those of Earth. ¡°You talk of the Lesser Boon,¡± Elian said, ¡°Are there any survivors¡ªerm, I mean, are there any Champion Penitents still around who have reached the Greater Boon?¡± ¡°Enlightened Penitents. Seven that I know of. But these seven are what we call¡­ Stagnant.¡± There was disdain in the way Borlen said the last word. ¡°The seven stay as priests at the Temples of Tribulations to share their knowledge and guide others on their journey, as they had ceased their own years ago.¡± ¡°Did they stop undergoing Tribulations because it had gotten too strong?¡± The burdens of Boons and Curses usually lessened when they reached a Greater status. It sounded like the Magistrate¡¯s Boon did the opposite¡ªthe Tribulations of its Greater counterpart were even more dangerous. ¡°Exactly. Stagnant.¡± There was that tone again. Elian held back from pointing out that Borlen also stopped his journey, and it was hypocritical of him to judge the seven priests. Though he could sort of understand where Borlen was coming from. Borlen was a mere follower. Who cared how many Tribulations he passed? The seven priests were heroes, and could even be thought of as prophets. For someone so accomplished to give up¡­ it would¡¯ve been a huge blow to the morale of the pilgrims looking up to them. ¡°Does that mean no one is taking on Greater Tribulations nowadays?¡± Elian asked. Borlen shook his head. ¡°If we support Penitent Tharguras to the fullest, he might become the next one to be Enlightened. The journey is long. We have plenty of work to be done, brother.¡± 6. A New Destination Borlen waved at his group. They removed the covers of several heavily laden carts, revealing almost perfectly round stones carved deep with signs unfamiliar to Elian. Each stone was as large as a basketball and needed three men to carry it to the hole¡¯s edge. Noticing Elian¡¯s curious stare, Borlen explained, ¡°Absorbing stones of Lha¡¯ar, one of the Tellerin tribes. The stones are embedded within castle walls to absorb hits from cannons. We will pile them around the bowl to lessen the impact of the Tribulation. This is our contribution in alleviating our Champion Penitent¡¯s burden.¡± Hired mages, wardcrafters, enchanters, and all sorts of defense experts, flocked around the hole. Everyone was busy at work. Elian took the opportunity to learn about the deployed magics unfamiliar to him. The Giants destroyed many nations before humanity started to unite. An answer to winning the war might be among the technologies lost. The other pilgrims were suspicious of Elian¡ªhe could be a spy sent by the supporters of Faridar to steal their secrets or even sabotage their work. Borlen assuaged their concerns and introduced Elian as a brother. Listening to Borlen¡¯s lectures about their beliefs for the past three days was worth it to get his support. By midday, cheers erupted at the outskirts of the encampment. The wave pushed to the middle. The powerful chanting grew stronger as more and more people joined. Thousands of voices became one, shaking even the trees. ¡°Penitent Tharguras!¡± ¡°Penitent Tharguras!¡± ¡°Penitent Tharguras!¡± Elian climbed on top of Borlen¡¯s wagon to see above the crowds. Others also thought the same so it was still difficult to find a good view. A mountain of a man, muscles upon muscles, long hair worked into a netting of braids and dyed blue, Tharguras looked like what you¡¯d expect from someone who had supposedly endured dozens of Tribulations. He didn¡¯t wear anything on his upper body, other than golden bands around his massive arms, to proudly display the shimmering black tattoos of the Magistrate¡¯s Boon. Elian couldn¡¯t see from this angle, but he expected the number two hundred and seventy-eight written in Kymorathi on his chest. The Lesser Boon of the Hundred-Armed Magistrate¡¯s Judgment was one of the rare Divine Bestowals that didn¡¯t need Favor Points to progress. Passing the Tribulations was the payment. Borlen taught Elian that the Lesser Boon required a hundred Tribulations for each tier. Three hundred in total to attain a Greater Boon. Who in a Giant¡¯s armpit could reach the Magistrate¡¯s Greater Boon? Probably had to be the level of the Great Heroes of the Solvi Empire. Elian was eager to meet the seven priests Borlen told him about. That said, how many powerful people have died because of this nonsense? Though it might not be fully nonsense. It could be the solution to Elian¡¯s problem. He needed to watch a Tribulation in action to confirm his plan. A bath of potions awaited Tharguras outside the dug bowl. Next up was a magical feast that he ate and drank. Elian didn¡¯t have Aethersight yet, but he could tell Tharguras was buffed to the gills and could take on Giants. Elian sighed. ¡°Looks like that¡¯ll take another hour. I might think they¡¯re crazy, but they take preparations seriously.¡± Mages wrote protection spells on Tharguras¡¯ skin before attendants fitted his armor. The unearthly white glow that Elian could spot from afar meant only one thing¡ªthe bones of undead dragons. Full sets were extremely rare. Penitent Tharguras certainly had a lot of wealthy supporters. The costs for this one Tribulation could fund an entire army for months. A fully armored Tharguras descended into the hole followed by several attendants carrying two great shields. No doubt the shields were imbued with all sorts of enchantment. When Elian checked the hole earlier, he saw two metal stands. Those were to help Tharguras hold the shields up under the weight of the Tribulation. ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on.¡± Elian hopped from wagon to wagon, trying to get a closer look into the hole. The crowd also pushed forward. They were held back by massive forcefields. Majestic notes of horns reverberated throughout the congregation. Amplified voices recited prayers. The pilgrims beat drums and clanged pots and pans. Elian was looking for the next wagon to jump onto when the hair on the back of his neck and arms stood on end. The air around him got sucked upward. He gazed at the sky. Thick clouds swirled, turning the clear day dark in a few seconds. A beam of blue light shot out from the center of the swirl. A great crash! The world shook as if a thousand Giants stomped all at once. Elian fell off the wagon and onto several other pilgrims. Dust clouds covered them. His ears were ringing from the noise as he tried to extract himself from entangled limbs. ¡°Sorry! Really sorry about that.¡± His eyes teared from the dust. The barriers must¡¯ve been destroyed for dust to reach them. Such a powerful impact. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry if I hit¡ª¡± ¡°Is he alive?¡± a pilgrim next to Elian asked him. ¡°Huh? Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°Penitent Tharguras! Did he survive?¡± Other people also asked each other the same question. They picked themselves up and surged to the middle to check. Elian couldn¡¯t do anything against the tide of people. He left himself to get carried by the flow because he wanted to see the aftermath. He didn¡¯t care about the fate of Penitent Tharguras. He was interested in the hole. What did the Tribulation do to it? ¡°He lives!¡± An amplified voice swept the crowd. ¡°Our Champion Penitent Tharguras lives!¡± Masses of pilgrims erupted into cheers that almost deafened Elian. While everyone was busy hugging each other or kneeling and praying, Elian jostled his way onward. He didn¡¯t get far as the wall of people became too dense close to the center. He headed to a covered wagon tipped to the side and climbed on it. Still couldn¡¯t see. ¡°I have an idea.¡± Elian jumped on the covering of the wagon, planning to use it as a trampoline and rise higher. His feet tore through the canvas followed by the rest of his body. He crashed into crates inside the wagon.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Okay, stupid idea. But in the short time he was in mid-air after jumping, he got a glimpse of the hole¡ªit became even bigger, double in size. The dug bowl turned into a crater in the shape of a palm as if an Elder Giant slammed his hand down. Everything was gone. The towers bearing the barrier wards were flattened into rubble pancake. Magical barriers were shattered. Elian couldn¡¯t see the bottom though he had gotten closer because it became much deeper. The announcer did say Tharguras survived though. Elian chuckled, staring at the hole he made through the wagon¡¯s cover. ¡°That Tribulation has got to be a physical attack.¡± The obvious evidence was the very large and very physical hole it left behind. A solid ¡®something¡¯ crashed down like an asteroid. The protection wards, the barriers, the enchantments, none of them were for defending against magic¡ªhe made triple sure of that while interviewing the people working around the hole. All defenses were in anticipation of a physical attack. ¡°Am I really going to go through with this?¡± His chuckles turned into laughter. ¡°Did time travel make me crazy?¡± The plan made sense though. The Armor attribute was for physical attacks. Magical Resilience defended against magic. Simple enough. But not very straightforward. The explanation of Yanira of the Mist Barrier returned to Elian. ¡°If someone used magic to levitate a boulder and throw it at you, that¡¯s a physical attack,¡± she had told him. ¡°Have all the Magic Resilience you want, but that¡¯s not going to protect you from getting squished. A mental blast that pushes targets as its only effect is also considered a physical attack. On the other hand, Magic Resilience will counteract the slash of the sword made of astral flames.¡± ¡°What about a flying boulder coated in astral flames?¡± Elian had asked. ¡°What do you need for that?¡± ¡°You need to get out of the way.¡± Just because something was made by magic didn¡¯t mean its damage was magic in nature. The Tribulation was a strike from the heavens that squished people. It was caused by a deity, yes. But it was a physical force. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯ll do this!¡± Elian punched the air, his heart filled with resolve. The Tribulation would be his ¡®skill¡¯ for offense. Given that it came from the Hundred-Armed Magistrate, it didn¡¯t use the Penitent¡¯s Attack Power. Otherwise, Penitents could lower their Attack Power using various methods and easily survive the Tribulations. It could be used only once a day and it could kill him, but this was a start. He¡¯d think about the issues later. ¡°Hey! You there!¡± A furious man peered into the hole that Elian made. ¡°This is my wagon. Are you stealing from me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I just fell inside. I¡¯m getting out now.¡± It took Elian a few hours to reunite with Borlen. Elian returned to their campsite and found that most of the adults had left to scoop soil from inside the crater. Some sort of religious souvenir since it was literally touched by their god. When the pilgrims returned with their jars of dirt, Borlen wasn¡¯t with them because he had gone looking for Elian in the Healer tents, thinking he was injured in the aftermath of the Tribulation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disappearing earlier,¡± Elian said. ¡°I made you worry. It¡¯s just that thought of seeing the Tribulation up close¡­ I still should¡¯ve told you.¡± Borlen made the circles and triangles sign. ¡°It warms my heart that you desire to witness the Tribulation. I was right to invite you to this momentous occasion, brother. You were part of its success and I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here with us. Please stay longer to join our celebrations. After which, I will no longer hold you back from your journey to Frothlake.¡± ¡°I changed my mind,¡± Elian said. ¡°I¡¯m postponing my trip to Frothlake.¡± ¡°Why so?¡± ¡°I have found a higher calling to go to the Temples of Tribulation. I will ask the Hundred-Armed Magistrate for his Boon.¡±
Elian¡¯s stomach was about to burst after the feast. Wealthy supporters of Penitent Tharguras made sure food piled high and drinks endlessly flowed. Elian couldn¡¯t fight the food comma that followed¡ªhis Armor was useless against it¡ªand slept in the wagon as the caravan started to move. Borlen had told him they¡¯d travel to the Temples of Tribulation to support Penitent Tharguras meeting the Hundred-Armed Magistrate. Elian wasn¡¯t listening to the rest of the explanation because sleep claimed him. Booming fireworks woke up Elian. ¡°Wha-what? Are we already there?¡± His voice struggled to be heard over the blaring trumpets and more fireworks. ¡°We are on the Road of Penitents Past.¡± Borlen, sitting across Elian, gestured outside the wagon. Behind them were groffs, more wagons, and hundreds of people on a wide road paved with white stone. All of them witnessed Elian sleeping like a drunk Filloswine. Lining either side of the road were statues of people with hands raised in defiance of the heavens. ¡°Are they Penitents who died during a Tribulation?¡± Elian asked, pointing at the statues. ¡°Champion Penitents who have reached the Lesser Boon¡¯s third tier,¡± said Borlen. ¡°And yes, it is as you surmised. Further on, we¡¯ll pass by Enlightened Champion Penitents who perished from the Tribulations of the Greater Boon. None were Stagnants. All brave, pushing their limits to the end.¡± Elian thought it improper to voice his thoughts about the Stagnants, choosing to instead ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Penitent Tharguras?¡± ¡°He should have reached the gates of the first temple by now. The fireworks indicate so. Our lines stretch far back so it will take time until our wagon arrives at the gates.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the Temples of Tribulation. Or maybe I can. I still don¡¯t want to move. So full¡­¡± Borlen went on to explain that although the place was called the Temples of Tribulation, there was only one true temple¡ªthe building that housed the Hundred-Armed Magistrate¡¯s aspect on this mortal plane. It stood on the central hill surrounded by smaller hills with the other so-called temples that were actually more like schools dedicated to different ways of defense. Each hill was a town unto itself, connected by roads and bridges to the other hills. A bustling place for it wasn¡¯t only the pilgrims that traveled there but also scholars and soldiers from various kingdoms wanting to train themselves or share their knowledge for a fee. A huge blow that the Temples of Tribulation were destroyed so early by the Giants in the previous timeline. ¡°Seven hills in total.¡± Borlen held up as many fingers. ¡°The central hill and one for each of the Six Paths of Enduring Penitence.¡± ¡°What are those Six Paths?¡± Elian¡¯s curiosity prodded him awake. ¡°Most prominent is the Path of Vigor. As its name suggests, it focuses on raising your Health and abilities with Health as a cost, such as the Steelskin Form pioneered by the warrior monks.¡± Elian had planned to pick up the Steelskin Form while at the War Monastery to shore up his defenses. Odd that they have teachers of the Steelskin Form here. Did they have a treaty with the War Monastery to access their scrolls? ¡°Opposite the Path of Vigor is the Path of the Mind,¡± Borlen continued. ¡°Barriers, auras, all manners of protection spells fueled by your own Energy. Then there is the Path of the Immaterial. Drawing from the Aether, the element unseen permeating all life, manifest magical constructs such as unearthly armor and shields. These three paths are focused on the individual.¡± ¡°Paths for people who want to be a Penitent,¡± Elian said. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the other three Paths are for those who want to support the Penitents?¡± ¡°That is so, brother. The Path of the Forge is quite self-explanatory though not all of its followers are armorers or use the forge for their creations. Everything worn for protection is the domain of this Path. Then there is the Path of Construction. Enchanters share their blessings with armor, wardcrafters drawing from the powers of the earth to make defenses, rune carvers, and many more. Last is the Path of the Cauldron consisting of potion brewers, alchemists, witches, and the like, all making concoctions to meet the Tribulations.¡± ¡°Thank you for your explanation, brother,¡± Elian said. He liked how all of the pilgrims called each other brother and sister. As a single child, he sometimes wondered how having siblings would feel. ¡°After receiving my Boon, I¡¯ll visit the Temples of the Paths and pick one to master.¡± ¡°I suggest the Path of Vigor for it is easiest to tread in the beginning,¡± Borlen said. He presented his arm. His skin rippled, turning into gleaming silver. ¡°Mastery over the rudimentary Skins will do you well in your first few Tribulations.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep your advice to heart.¡± But Elian wouldn¡¯t follow it for new plans brewed in his mind. Didn¡¯t Aether armor defend against both physical and magical attacks? 7. Kitchen Equipment Another round of fireworks woke up Elian. Again. ¡°Huh? What?¡± He rubbed his eyes. ¡°Did I fall asleep? That¡¯s twice now. Sorry. The trip is taking so long. Where are¡ª? Woah¡­¡± He jolted at the view framed by the covered wagon¡¯s opening. They had passed through colossal marble gates of elegant make that could rival any from the great cities of the Solvi Empire. ¡°Are we in the Temples of Tribulation?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the territory of the Temple of the Path of Vigor,¡± Borlen said, looking pleased that Elian was impressed by the architecture. ¡°That¡¯s a mouthful. Can I call it Vigor Town? Vigor Hill?¡± Borlen smiled. ¡°Some do call it Vigor Hill.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing Penitent Tharguras is now meeting with the Magistrate?¡± ¡°Almost. The explosive festivities signaled his climb up the stairs of the main temple. I apologize for our pace but expect the same throughout the day. An hour or so until we reach the central hill. And after that¡­¡± Elian made a face. ¡°Is it alright if I stretch my legs and familiarize myself around town?¡± He stretched his back. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get my Boon today since it¡¯s busy-busy for everyone at the main temple. I¡¯ll go there tomorrow.¡± Borlen told Elian where they¡¯d set up camp for tonight and gave him suggestions of places to visit. Elian alighted from the wagon and swam against the tide of people to escape the caravan. He dove into an empty alley to begin his exploration of Vigor Hill. A sense of adventure he had missed for so long welled in his heart. The first year of his first life on Fellenyr was difficult and exciting. Earth boasts of having the internet, fast food, air conditioning, all the works. But Fellenyr was straight out of a fantasy book. Elian could wield magic and fight monsters. He could die a horrible death to monsters and there was no modern plumbing. But, hey, magic powers! As time went on, he lost the childlike wonder at all things magical. His mission to gather information and plan for his second run took over. He bonded with many people and worked hard to save them with no thought about his return ticket to Earth. Sometimes, he was fine with staying on Fellenyr. I¡¯ll decide when the time comes. He was a long way away from defeating the Giants. Elian emerged from the alley and stepped on a lively street lined with stalls of food and wares. Following the winding road downslope would lead him to the marketplace, Borlen had told him. He went in the opposite direction and climbed through the levels ringing Vigor Hill. Sitting on its flattened top was his destination¡ªthe Temple of the Path of Vigor. Why were there so many people here? He thought everyone would flock to the Magistrate¡¯s Temple and celebrate the new high score of Tharguras. Pilgrims wearing garbs in all colors of the rainbow and presenting different symbols made him realize there were many other groups. Tharguras and Faridar might be on top of the leaderboards but there were many more Champion Penitents below them. And it wasn¡¯t only humans that were pilgrims. There were Dagalans, reptilian humanoids, wearing the red of Faridar. Wispy Sylphshades with green ribbons floated by. Not sure if they were supporting a Champion Penitent or if those ribbons were for fashion. A goatkin with a broken horn, lugging an overstuffed backpack twice his size, was probably here to sell items rather than worship. A passing man wearing a blue coat with silver buttons down one side made Elian stop. Wasn¡¯t that the uniform of the army of Sajilis Isles? Elian had stayed there for a year to find an item the Seventh Sister of Sorrow asked for. He looked over his shoulder and spotted the familiar golden emblem of an anchor on the uniform¡¯s back. Everything clicked. ¡°This place is the schools of Raelyon they were talking about!¡± People looked at him. Elian waved at them. ¡°Nice to meet you all. Let¡¯s just move on with our lives. Thanks.¡± Ambervale or Amberwynd, the City of Mists where Yanira came from, the Sabyn Mountains, the War Monastery, and the Temples of Tribulation¡ªthese were all located in Raelyon, a region with an absolute scrambled egg of political history, with this or that guy claiming to be the ruler only to be assassinated or toppled by another guy. Not one kingdom has ever completely claimed Raelyon and the various settlements simply went on with their own thing and settled in harmony. While Elian was in the Sajilis Isles, he¡¯d mingle with various people at the bar¡ªtheir seasnail wine was garbage¡ªand that included soldiers. Some soldiers told him they had attended the schools of Raelyon after he said he was from the region. He assumed they were talking about the War Monastery¡ªit was sort of like a school¡ªbecause they mentioned the Steelskin and Iron Constitution Forms. It turned out that they came to Vigor Hill. There were many things Elian didn¡¯t know about this part of Raelyon because he went south last time. Reaching the top of the hill, he could see why the Sajilisan soldiers referred to the Temple of the Path of Vigor as a school. The not-really temple was several floors of pristine rooms and arching windows topped by a golden dome held up by towering columns, looking like the universities of Pundar Domains. Its gates were open and people freely came and went. Elian entered the school grounds and toured the gardens, listening to thuds and explosions muffled by the high walls surrounding what he suspected to be a training arena beneath the center of the dome. ¡°Greetings, brother,¡± said a man in red and gold robes seemingly popping out of nowhere. ¡°How may I help you?¡± The way he carried himself gave off the impression he was someone in charge of something. The Boon tattoos on his exposed arms showed that he was a Penitent of the Magistrate. ¡°I was just looking around.¡± Elian nodded at the man¡¯s arms. ¡°You¡¯re not going to call down a Tribulation, are you?¡± The man laughed. ¡°No, no. We maintain manifesting the mark of the Hundred-Arms Magistrate as a show of devotion.¡± He gestured at the domed building. ¡°I take it that you are interested in the Path of Vigor?¡± ¡°I very much am. But I also don¡¯t have money to pay for training in the vigorous ways.¡± ¡°Material obstacles won¡¯t be allowed to deter those who walk the Path of Vigor,¡± said the robed man, waving his hands. ¡°The initial stages of your instruction are free. The Temples of Tribulation aids aspiring Penitents. Those committed to walking further need more¡­ resources, let us say, for advancement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Elian said. The free basic lessons would be like advertising. Penitents aiming for a higher score would be willing to spend or find supporters for funding. Overall, a good business for the Six Paths.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°The other Paths have the same policy,¡± the robed man said. ¡°The Paths of the Forge, Construction, and Cauldron also offer the alternative of producing items to be sold as payment for higher education. But you need not worry. I assure you that you¡¯ll find supporters when you take the Path of Vigor because you¡¯ll progress faster through the Tribulations compared to other Paths. You only need to prove that you have passed one Tribulation and we can start with your instruction. Show me your Kymorathi¡ª¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t received the Magistrate¡¯s Boon yet,¡± Elian said. ¡°Should be today, but the temple is too crowded. I¡¯ll return once I¡¯ve met the requirements.¡± From the very vigorous school, Elian descended the hill in the opposite direction and found another flat area cut into the slope. Borlen told him to visit this place to witness Penitents with lower numbers of passed Tribulations and gain donations from the audience. Borlen didn¡¯t expressly say it, but Elian suspected he was getting told to earn money. ¡°I should buy the whole group food,¡± Elian said. ¡°I¡¯ve been leeching off of their kindness for a few days now. Very tasty kindness.¡± The Stage of Devotion was a circular amphitheater, a few tiers of seating around an arena. It looked like a smaller Colosseum of Rome. And just like the Colosseum, people came here to watch the violence and possible deaths. Though bloodlust and entertainment weren¡¯t the hook that drew crowds¡ªit was religion. Elian had read that top-performing gladiators could rake in coins back in ancient Rome. Penitents here could too. ¡°Pardon me, sir,¡± Elian said to a guard wearing a red surcoat emblazoned with the Path of Vigor symbol. The man raised his chin at being called ¡®sir¡¯. Elian even did a couple of bows. ¡°I¡¯m going to start my journey as a Penitent and am looking for support. I¡¯ve been told to come here. How does this work?¡± he asked, though Borlen had explained it to him. ¡°You have to pass ten Tribulations to use the Stage of Devotion, brother,¡± said the guard. ¡°Prove to the followers of the Magistrate that you are worthy of aid by beginning the journey on your lonesome. After which, we invite you to the fold. The Stage of Devotion has barriers to empower your defenses against the Tribulation while protecting the faithful watching. I encourage you to pass ten Tribulations soon and return here.¡± ¡°Thanks for your kind words,¡± Elian replied. With the Elder Giant¡¯s Curse, he was confident he¡¯d easily fulfill the requirement. He could even be a Champion Penitent given enough time and have his loyal band of followers. He needed to reach level six fast to gain three more Favor Points and max out the Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal. How many more times would his Armor get multiplied then? He¡¯d likely be the first person in the history of the Covenant to have two Greater Curses of the third tier while at such a low level. Given that level sixes would be children, his competition didn¡¯t have a chance. There was a very slight problem¡ªleveling without any Attack or Magic Power was a challenge that became more difficult the higher his level would get. In Elian¡¯s previous life, he gained levels through training and defeating opponents, usually monsters. Sometimes a grateful god would level him up as a reward, but it was mostly those two methods. Between them, fighting and winning was vastly more effective. While with Borlen¡¯s group, Elian tried working out but didn¡¯t even manage to level up once. He gained a few points of Attack Power which became more Armor, and nothing else. All too slow. This was where the Magistrate¡¯s Boon came in. Surviving a Tribulation would help him level up, he was certain of it. Defeating a monster using the same Tribulation also would progress the unseen experience bar. Killing two birds with one stone. Or as the poster at the grocery told him before he left Earth, ¡°Buy one milk cartoon, get one free.¡± ¡°Sometimes, I still get amazed by my genius,¡± Elian mumbled, stroking his chin. ¡°Just sometimes. Saving Fellenyr is back on track.¡± But he couldn¡¯t completely rely on the Elder Giant¡¯s Curse to save him from getting squished by the Tribulation. The Curse multiplied his Armor attribute. He needed Armor for it to multiply. Continuing his tour of Vigor Hill, Elian swung by the equipment section of the marketplace. He found the vendor with the cheapest prices and browsed his goods for sale. ¡°Good day to you, fine gentleman,¡± the vendor said, doing an elaborate bow. ¡°Are you looking for your first armor to meet the Tribulations of the Hundred-Armed Magistrate? You¡¯ve come to the right place! Let my steep discounts be my contribution to your journey.¡± ¡°Is this Enchanted?¡± Elian nudged his head at a layered leather vest with overlapping metal plates sewn on. It pulsed with a faint yellow light. ¡°A good eye you have, sir.¡± The vendor unhooked the vest from the wall and laid it on the table. ¡°An Enchanter with a Boon from the Protector Konshari improved this item. See for yourself.¡± Glowing green Kymorathi writings that Elian couldn¡¯t read emerged from the leather vest and floated above it. He touched the words and it changed into the language he understood the most. During his first few years on Fellenyr, Enchantments would appear as English to him. Eventually, they became Angloise. This one read: Konshari¡¯s Protection for the Brave: Stand your ground and not one step back. Your bravery earns you the blessing of ten percent more Armor so long as you stay in place. ¡°That¡¯s a nice boost for Tribulations,¡± Elian said, eyeing the dangling tag. It had a very reasonable price but buying it would put a sizeable dent on his meager budget. ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t fake? Why is this so cheap for such a useful Enchantment?¡± ¡°Simple, my good sir. It is on a leather vest. The Enchanter I bought it from told me he was drunk when he enchanted this item. Someone with more money would rather buy a steel breastplate with a Konshari Enchantment than waste a single glance at this leather vest. I keep my prices honest.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard around here that you¡¯re the most reasonable man in this marketplace,¡± Elian said. The vendor stood a little taller after hearing that. Elian moved to the weapons side of the story. ¡°But I¡¯m not planning to call a Tribulation soon. Still preparing for it. I¡¯m actually looking for a weapon. A cheap one for personal defense. I know these hills are mostly safe, but you never know.¡± ¡°Take a look at these daggers, fine sir. Easily hidden in your cloak. The metal isn¡¯t high-quality, I admit that. You get what you pay for. But it¡¯ll do its job in a pickle unless you¡¯re going to stab this leather vest.¡± ¡°Did your Enchanter friend mistakenly cast his blessings on another cheap blade? I¡¯d buy it off of you.¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, he did.¡± The vendor rummaged beneath and pulled out a small chest. Inside was a cleaver faintly oozing black smoke. ¡°That¡¯s a knife for cooking,¡± Elian said. ¡°Or butchering. Hardly for personal defense.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s cheap,¡± the vendor said as he took the cleaver from its container. ¡°And it packs quite a punch with this Enchantment from the Self-Flagellant Elashor.¡± Elashor¡¯s Payment in Blood Lose a percent of your Health each second you hold this weapon, earning the right to increased violence of an additional three hundred Attack Power. ¡°That Enchantment¡­¡± Elian slowly said, grimacing. He had to make the vendor think he didn¡¯t want this. But this was exactly what he wanted. Any Attack Power he¡¯d obtain would be multiplied by eight by the Abyssal Eye¡¯s Curse before conversion into Armor. In terms of raw Armor attribute, it was better to use weapons than wear armor. Of course, Enchanted armor would have powerful effects he¡¯d need, but that was for the future. ¡°How much for this?¡± Elian asked. The vendor quoted something within his budget, but he tried to haggle a bit and eventually bought it. ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Elian Ward | Human | Level:3 Health: 265/265 Energy: 70/70 ATTRIBUTES: Attack Power: 0 Magic Power: 0 Armor: 5,808 Magic Resilience: 0 Burning pizza from outer space! The cleaver¡¯s own Attack Power and the Enchantment added nearly two thousand Armor. Elian kept his expression neutral. ¡°I pray you are satisfied with your purchase, good sir,¡± the vendor said. ¡°I¡¯m going to buy some meat and test this,¡± Elian said. ¡°I¡¯ll cook for a lot of people tonight. May the Magistrate bless your business.¡±